The Little World

I initially thought it was Dassault. Then I thought it was SNCAO or SNCASE and then Pret a Manger and then eventually I didn’t care any more. It was designed and produced by someone in France, for some reason, at some stage of the game. Many were made and quite a few flew. Past that you can make up your own definitive history and welcome to it.

The only people who seem to have used it in anger were the Israelis – they use a lot of things in anger, including bagels. In this case it was a fighter and ground attack bagel that they flew just after the Sinai War and then on into the 6-day War. They don’t appear to have been withdrawn till 1970.

I jumped at a special offer of Special Hobby from Metro Hobbies when they sent their usual seduction email. You probably get these too, if you’ve ever bought anything from them here in Australia. They are ever so much more attractive than the offers from girls in your neighbourhood who want to date you. If you succumb to Metro Hobbies’ flirting you end up with a kit rather than a disease.

Very nice sprue trees, not too much PE or resin. Precise decals. Reasonably clear instruction sheet. Good colour call-out…four different versions buildable out of the box from this kit.

I’ll opt for the ’65 version as it fought in the ’56 camouflage scheme. It’ll be a club build – I’ll do all that I can at the SMCWA Tuesday Mens Shed sessions. This should stretch the build time to a month or more with plenty of time between sessions to let paint dry or cement set. It’s a discipline in a situation that doesn’t need it, but sweet nevertheless. You need rules when you are in retirement or it all goes to hell.